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Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance

Kentucky WMU will send a team of seven to Malawi in July as part of the KBC Partnership Missions Department “Go Africa” focus. The team came for a time of prayer, orientation and planning last week. I shared a devotional based on Psalm 2, a psalm with clear Messianic references. My focus was on verse 8 – “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” We know that this verse is fulfilled in Revelation 5:8-10 as we read of people from every tribe and nation gathered in praise to the Lamb. But how this verse is fulfilled has been entrusted to us through the Great Commission.

I remember the first time that I read this verse and heard God say to me – “The nations are your inheritance, too. It started when you began praying for missionaries. It started the first time you gave your own money to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.”

My first overseas missions trip was to Rwanda in 1992. As we drove out to visit one congregation, the missionary told us about the people and how they had built the building themselves out of mud bricks. Almost as an aside he said, “And oh by the way, the tin roof on this building was put here by the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.” I wept all the way through that service, remembering the first time I earned money and gave it to the Lottie Moon Offering. That day, at least one nation became my inheritance.

But never would I have dreamed that God would allow me to be a part of His work in Rwanda, Kyrsgyzstan, Romania, Poland, Brazil, Tanzania, South Korea, North Korea, Indonesia, and now Malawi. But those are only the countries I’ve visited. The fact is, that through utilizing the missionary prayer calendar and through giving to our missions offerings, God has indeed made the nations my inheritance.

Todd Deaton led chapel last week, and reminded us of a story told by Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God about Ivah Bates who Blackaby described as the knee of one church. This church would bring Mrs. Bates their prayer concerns and she would pray. One student, Wayne, said to Mrs. Bates, “Next Tuesday, I will be witnessing to Doug. Would you pray for me.” She agreed and the next Tuesday, at the time Wayne was to meet with Doug, she dropped everything and prayed. Three months later, Doug made a profession of faith. Dr. Blackaby saw Mrs. Bates weeping and learned that for three months, she had been praying for this Doug that she had never met.

We have all prayed for people that we have never met. Through God’s grace, Kentucky WMU is sending a team to be a part of His work in another place through a team that will provide a week of training for minister’s wives. We will teach Bible and classes related to health, family, and Christian life. The team will travel July 4-16 and needs your prayers. These women in Malawi and those they will touch can be the inheritance of all who will join us in prayer.

But my reflections on the nations did not end when the Malawi team left. I immediately went to another meeting with representatives who work with NAME – North Africa and the Middle East. Kentucky WMU is starting a prayer partnership with NAME and we are seeking people who will join us in praying. We will post general information on our web site at: www.kywmu.org/NAME. If you would like to be among the pray-ers who take this to the next level, please email me and tell me of your interest. We will distribute additional prayer information to those who want to pray for this strategic part of the world.

A church planting movement among an unreached people group. A religious leader of another faith turning to Christ. A receptivity to the gospel in some of the most difficult to reach places and people. What will our inheritance be? Will you join Kentucky WMU in praying for NAME? Will you ask the Lord to make these nations your inheritance?